


How it Happened

by NoForkingClue



Series: Love Hurts [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23669872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoForkingClue/pseuds/NoForkingClue
Summary: *Companion piece to What Could Have Been*It started with a kidnapping, it ended in Rome.
Relationships: The Master (Dhawan)/Reader
Series: Love Hurts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823047
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	How it Happened

The first time you met the Master he had kidnapped you.

Not exactly the most romantic start to your relationship.

“So this is what I’ve been reduced to,” you said leaning back against the cold metal wall, “A damsel in distress.”

“Nothing personal. You just so happened to be the nearest human.”

You stared at him for a while, an amused smile on your face. You could see he was getting frustrated with something. Maybe his plan wasn’t going to plan.

“So,” you said, “How are you?”

The Master spun around and glared at you.

“What?”

“How are you?”

“Out of everything you could’ve asked, you asked me that? Not how the Doctor is going to stop me, or that I won’t get away with this.”

“I don’t see the point on wasting my breath on the obvious,” you gave him a bright grin, “So we might as well get to know each other.”

The Master gave you a suspicious look before turning his back on you and continuing with his plans. Every so often he looked at you. He was distracted.

Good.

The Master had locked you in handcuffs and if you could dislocate your thumb you could slip out of them. If it worked in the films surely it could work for you?

“Why do you care?”

Now it was your turn to be shocked.

“Excuse me?”

“Why do you care how I am? How I’m feeling?”

You shrugged.

“Why not? Being polite. Is that a crime?”

“On certain planets being polite carries a death sentence.”

“Does that include this one?”

“No.”

A loud bang distracted the Master and you seized the opportunity to pop your thumb out of its socket. The noise muffled your cry of pain and you slipped one of your hands out of the handcuffs.

“Seems like your little friends are in trouble,” grinned the Master, “And in answer to your question, I am ecstatic.” He marched over to you and knelt down to your level, “Don’t go anywhere little human, you wouldn’t like the consequences if you disobeyed your Master.”

When he left the room you quickly stood up and ran over to the table. You quickly found a pen and paper and wrote:

_‘Never count your chickens before they hatch.’_

Now all you needed to do was to escape and find someone who could pop your thumb back into its socket. You hadn’t thought that aspect of your plan through.

*

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Excuse me?”

The Master had captured you again. While you weren’t happy at being dragged away from your friends, at least it gave you an opportunity to talk to him.

“You being stranded on earth for over seventy years,” you explained, “Being left to the Nazis. The Doctor shouldn’t have done that. It was unnecessarily cruel.”

The Master gave a short, bitter laugh in response.

“Why do you care?” he asked, “I’m her enemy therefore I’m your enemy. Why do you care what happens to me.”

“Why not? You shouldn’t treat anyone like that, even your worst enemy. I-“you bit your lip and stopped.

“You what?”

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”

“I answered your question, you should answer mine.”

Oh yes, when you first met. He did eventually tell you how he was feeling.

“I almost stopped travelling with her because of her actions.”

“Did you?” The Master smirked, “I mean that much to you.”

“No, but I think that the Doctor went too far. Besides, it wasn’t just what happened to you that made me reconsider my options.”

“Then why did you stay.”

“Because I love travelling and exploring the universe and I do still like the Doctor. I believe what the Doctor did was wrong but the call of time travel is too strong to abandon.” You gave him a weak smile, “Surely you can understand that?”

And he did. Part of the reason why he left Gallifrey. Why would you choose to live a boring, mundane life when you could see everything the universe had to offer?

“No,” he said instead, “I don’t. You’re foolish if you believe that. Now stay here and do not try and escape. The consequences won’t be pretty if you do.”

*

It was surprisingly easy to separate you from your friends. One mysterious noise and you were off investigating.

“Haven’t you heard the phrase curiosity killed the cat?” he asked

“And satisfaction brought it back. Look, is this going to take all day? I have things to do and quite frankly I’m getting fucking sick of getting kidnapped.”

The Master frowned.

“Something’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying.”

You slumped against the wall and looked down at your feet. The Master walked over to you and crouched down in front of you.

“What did she say?”

“Nothing!”

“So the Doctor did say something.”

“Just a pointless argument. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter.”

Your voice was cold and bitter. The Master was used to hearing you be happy and cheerful, playfully teasing your friends. He was used to you being kind, even to him. The fact that the Doctor would dare argue with someone so good was beyond him.

“It matters to you though.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“I mean,” he said quickly, “That fact that the Doctor clearly doesn’t care about your opinion clearly shows that she doesn’t care about you. Why do you stay with her?”

You narrowed your eyes at him.

“I didn’t tell you what we were arguing about. Don’t assume anything.”

An awkward silence fell between the two of you. You had such a despondent look on your face that the Master felt a small pang of guilt. Why was he feeling guilty about hurting a human? Why did he care so much about you?

“I’m sorry.” He said at last

“Excuse me?”

“You head me.”

“Maybe you could say it again so I could record it,” you teased, a weak smile on your face, “I don’t think anyone would believe me otherwise.”

“You will not tell anyone about this,” snapped the Master, “I have a reputation to keep.”

“Can’t have people knowing that the big bad timelord actually has a heart.”

“I have two thank you very much.”

“You know what I mean.”

The two of you shared a smile. This was something that would remain between the two of you.

*

It was months until you saw the Master again. When you next saw him it was on earth and for once you weren’t being kidnapped. You were just about to go to bed when you heard a frantic pounding at your door. You remained still, not trusting whoever was calling that late at night.

“Y/n, I know you’re there. Open this door.”

It was the Master.

You remained frozen to the spot. How did he find out where you lived? What did he want? If this was another attempt to kidnap you, you were going to be pissed.

“Please.”

You heard the desperation, the pleading, in his voice. He needed someone. You walked over to the door and opened it a crack. Your eyes widen at what you saw.

The Master looked awful. His hair was a mess and the hair on the left side of his was wet with what seemed to be blood. His eyes were red and glassy as though he had just been crying. His clothes were torn and burnt in places and covered in ash. You immediately flung open the door and ushered him in.

“How did you find out where I live?”

“A timelord never revels his secrets.”

You rolled your eyes as you gently pushed him down to sit on your sofa. You went to the kitchen to get a bowl of warm water and a cloth. You needed to clean up his head.

“How did this happen?” you asked as you gently cleaned his wound, “And why did you come here? We’ve only met three times and each of those times were because you kidnapped me.”

“And yet you showed me more kindness when I kidnapped you then any other being has in hundreds of years.”

You froze, the cloth against the Master’s head. You looked into his deep brown eyes and you could see the hurt in them. How damaged was he?

“You still didn’t tell me how you got like this.”

“Had a run in with a Dalek. Was as much fun as it sounds.”

Neither of you had moved. Slowly the Master raised his hand and gently brushed your hair out of your face. He moved it to cup your cheek and started to move forward.

Time seemed to slow down.

You were sitting in your living room, with the Doctor’s best enemy sitting next to you. You had been playing nurse and now he was about to kiss you. Part of you wanted this but a rational part of your brain was telling you to stop. He was just manipulating you.

Quickly you turned your head to the side. You felt the Master’s lips press against your cheek.

“I missed.” said the Master teasingly. He grasped your chin and forced you to look into his eyes. He gently brushed his thumb over your bottom lip and muttered, “Maybe I should try again?”

“This isn’t a good idea.”

“Says who? The Doctor?”

“Says me.” You stood up quickly and coughed awkwardly. “You’re welcome to stay here for the night. Or until you’re feeling better.”

“Wait.” The Master’s hand shot out and grabbed your wrist, “Stay.”

“I’m not sure-“

“Please. I need someone. I need you.”

The look he gave you made pause. One of desperation, of longing, of pleading. You gave a curt nod.

“Fine but let me clear this up first.” You held up the bowl of bloody water.

When you had washed up the bowl you joined the Master on the sofa. He had buried his head in his arms.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, “What was I thinking. You’re a human.”

“Wow, thanks. Way to kill the mood.”

The Master turned his head to glare at you.

“Why are you so kind to me?”

“I’m like this with everyone.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“Even with people like me?”

“I don’t know you as well as the Doctor but she hasn’t always treated you kindly. But I’m not the Doctor. I don’t share your history. I was taught to treat other how I would like to be treated. But do _not_ think that makes me a doormat. I know when to stop being kind.”

“I kidnapped you though.”

“I wasn’t hurt.”

“I could’ve hurt you.”

“Yes, you could’ve but you didn’t. I think that says a lot about you.”

You heard a sniff come from the Master. He wasn’t crying was he?

“Are you alright?”

“Stop asking me that!”

“Come here.”

You pulled the Master towards you and wrapped your arms around him. You felt him tense in your hold before he relaxed. He rested his head on your shoulder before copying your embrace. He pulled you close to him as though he never wanted to let you go.

“If you tell anyone about this,” he said into your shoulder, “I’ll kill you.”

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. Besides, I don’t think anyone would believe me if I did tell them.”

*

The Master stared at your unconscious body. This was not how his plan was meant to go.

For once he was not trying to kidnap you. He wasn’t expecting the Doctor and her little pets to appear (in hindsight he should’ve known they would) and he believed that you were on the other side of the galaxy.

You had been knocked unconscious by one of his idiotic ‘helpers’. He had arrived just in time before they took you away to kill you. Of course he had been furious and killed them.

Now here you were, lying in his bed. He had managed to bandage up your head and stop the bleeding. All he had to do was wait for you to wake up and hope that you didn’t blame him.

But he knew you would.

The only person to show him one ounce of kindness, you wouldn’t stay with him. You’d blame him for your accident, you rush back to the Doctor and tell her that he’d done this. You would see him as everyone else did.

“Ugh, where am I?”

The Master was dragged out of his thoughts by your voice. You were sitting up in bed and rubbing your head. He quickly rushed over to your side.

“You got hit on the head,” he explained quickly, “I managed to stop the bleeding but you need rest.”

“You… you helped me? Why?”

“I didn’t want another dead body cluttering up the place.”

“You saved my life.”

“I wouldn’t go-“

“Thank you.”

The Master couldn’t do anything else but stare. When was it that someone had last thanked him? As he stared at you, sitting up in his bed, sincerity written clearly across your face, he realised that he never wanted you to leave. He wanted you to remain with him. By his side, in his bed, he didn’t care as long as you were with him.

He selfishly wanted you to stay, to only show him the kindness that you so readily offered to others. For him to look after you as you looked after him.

“I should leave,” you said making a move towards the edge of the bed, “The Doctor must be wondering where I am.”

“Don’t,” the Master said quickly, “I mean, you’re still hurt.” He added quickly when you raised an eyebrow, “You’ll damage yourself even more. You humans a very weak.”

“I think the Doctor can look after me.”

“As well as I can?”

You broke the eye contact and slowly slipped out of the bed.

“This is a bad idea.”

“What is?”

“Whatever this,” you waved between the two of you, “Is.”

The Master walked over to you and grasped your hands.

“Is it so bad that I wanted to spend time with the one person who makes me feel like a person instead of a monster?”

You cupped his face and whispered, “Master, you are not a monster and you don’t need me to stay to prove that.”

*

“This is great.”

“I know.”

“We both ended up hiding in the world’s most cramped store room.”

“Well, I’m not complaining.”

The Doctor had asked you to go to a charity ball in order to investigate a possible alien threat to earth. She said that usually she would go but she, Ryan, Yaz and Graham had already been investigated and if they turned up then there was a risk that their plan would fail.

That left you to go in their place.

Unfortunately you hadn’t realised that the Master was also there and that he was looking for the same person. Of course the two of you had different motives. While you were trying to save the earth, the Master was trying to kill this person so he could destroy the earth at a later date.

_“I have plans, my dear,” he told you as he dragged you into the store room, “And I’ll be damned if I let some pathetic little creature ruin them!”_

Unfortunately, neither of you were as sneaky as you initially believed. You were spotted trying to break into a room and luckily for you the Master had been there to drag you away to safety. Luckily the guards didn’t catch a good look at your face however they were still looking for two people and you both needed to hide. That’s how the two of you ended pressed up against each other in the store room.

“Why did you save me? It would’ve been easier for you in the long run if I was out of the way.”

“Is it so hard to believe that I’ve grown fond of you? That I like you. That I don’t want you to die?”

“But-“

“I thought I heard someone talking in here. Quickly, open the door!”

The door burst open and light flooded into the room. At the same time the Master quickly grabbed you and pressed his lips to yours. He wrapped one arm around your waist while the other gently cupped your cheek.

“What is going on here?”

The Master broke the kiss and gave the guards a grin.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, “My girlfriend and I were just looking for somewhere private.”

The guards flushed and quickly spluttered out, “Well this is hardly the most private of places.”

“It was until you opened the door.”

“Leave! Now! Both of you!”

The Master quickly dragged you out of the room. You had gone bright red and could only look at the floor. Once the two of you were a safe distance away you pulled free from the Master’s grip.

“What was that for?”

“Had to think of something didn’t I? Why else would two people in such a small room together?”

The Master smirked and walked over towards you. He grabbed you chin and forced you to look into his eyes.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it.”

“I did but-“

That was all the Master needed to hear before he pushed you up against the wall and kissed you again. You melted into the kiss and wrapped your arms around his neck pulling him closer. All the times the two of you met, all the nearly kisses, all the pent up emotions and feelings were poured into that one kiss.

Eventually the two of you broke the apart and were gasping for air.

“See what you’ve turned me into.” the Master whispered resting his forehead against yours.

“Are you complaining?”

“If I get to kiss you like that every time then no.”

The Master leant down to kiss you again but a crackle in your ear made you jump.

“Y/n, is everything alright? You’ve been quiet for a while now.”

It was the Doctor.

You grimaced and pushed the button to reply and said, “Yeah I’m fine. Had a bit of trouble with the guards but I’m safe.”

The Doctor let out a sigh of relief.

“Good. I heard reports that the Master is there. You haven’t run into him have you?”

“The Master? No I haven’t.”

“Good. Remember, keep safe.”

“Will do.”

You shut off the communication device and sighed.

“I need to get back to work.”

“Care for some help?”

“Are you going to kill people.”

“Might do.”

“Then no!”

“Spoil sport. Fine, I promise I won’t kill anyone.”

*

How could this have happened? You thought he had changed.

Around you Rome glowed and the fire crackled loudly. Faintly you could hear the desperate screams of people trying to run to safety. You knew it was futile to escape the flames, but they didn’t.

“Beautiful isn’t it? I always think fire improves the look of a place.”

You felt hands on your shoulders as the Master spun you around. He raised an eyebrow when he saw your face.

“Ash and soot really doesn’t suit you my dear,” he said raising a hand to your cheek, “You really need to wash your face.”

You violently jerked back and slapped his hand away.

“How could you,” you said tears falling down your face, “How could you do this. You killed all those people.”

The Master let out a loud laugh as he spun around.

“To show you how pathetic the Doctor’s plan was,” he laughed manically, “She was desperate to change a fixed point and she failed. I proved that. Rome will always burn.” He shouted the last line above the roar of the fire.

He gave you a wide grin and marched over to you. His eyes shone in the flames and you flinched away from him. You had never seen him like this before and it terrified you.

“Now you see,” he hissed, “Now you see how the Doctor will always fail you can come with me. Leave her. I can promise you so much more than she ever can.”

You took a deep, shuddering breath and said, “Of all the things I am, I never recognised the fool.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was foolish to believe that you changed. I thought you had become a good person.”

“I have though,” the Master said as he gently place his hands back on your shoulders, “You’ve changed me.”

You again pulled yourself free from his grip and shook your head.

“No, no you tricked me. I’m going back to the Doctor. And if I ever, _ever,_ see you again it’ll be too soon!”

The Master’s blood ran cold. He took a step towards you.

“You’re not serious,” he said, “You can’t be serious.” When you took a couple of steps back he reached out towards to, “Y/n, please, don’t leave me.”

You gave him a disgusted look.

“You burnt Rome to the ground to prove a point,” you said coldly, “Good bye Master.”

Then you ran. You ran as fast as your legs could carry you. The searing heat of the buring buildings around you made it difficult but you pushed yourself to keep going. You had never been so relieved to see the familiar blue box and you crashed through the doors.

The Doctor let out a cry of joy when you ran in and she quickly moved towards you.

“Go,” you sobbed, “Just go. I never want to see this place again.”

*

That was you last journey with the Doctor. She had tried to persuade you to have one more, go to a spa or even to get rid of the memory but you refused everything.

You needed your memories.

You needed to remember how the Master hadn’t changed. How he had lied to you and manipulated you. How his feelings for you weren’t real. You needed to remember that in order to get rid of your own feelings for him.

How could you love a man that burnt an entire city to the ground just to prove a point?

All you were left with was an empty flat with memories of a man you once loved and an ache in your heart that would never heal.


End file.
